Varying levels of threats from chemical and biological agents have resulted in chemical protective garments based on multiple technologies. For example, to achieve protection from the highest level of chemical and biological challenges, garments may be formed from impermeable chemical protective materials which prevent toxic agents from passing through the material and to the body of the wearer. Likewise, these impermeable materials are non-breathable, preventing the passage of moisture vapor through the impermeable material and away from the body of a wearer. Protective garments formed from adsorptive materials, such as activated carbon-based materials, adsorb toxic agents to which the material is exposed. Adsorptive materials have a finite capacity to adsorb toxic agents. This capacity to adsorb toxic agents is readily depleted by indiscriminant adsorption of non-toxic chemicals present in the environment. Protective garments may also be made from selectively permeable materials that significantly restrict liquid and vapor chemical agents from passing through the protective garment, while allowing moisture vapor to pass through the garment and away from the body of a wearer.
Protective garments are frequently designed having multiple layers providing a wearer protection against a combination of anticipated challenges. Individual layers are selected for desired properties and incorporated into a protective multilayer material which is then formed into garments. The protective multilayer materials are often thick and/or stiff. Consequently, protective garments formed from these materials can be bulky, stiff and/or non-form fitting.